How Much Green Tea Is Required to Help Promote Weight Loss?

by
NINA K. Last Updated: Dec 18, 2013

Nina K.

Nina K. is a Los Angeles-based journalist who has been published by USAToday.com, Fitday.com, Healthy Living Magazine, Organic Authority and numerous other print and web publications. She has a philosophy degree from the University of Colorado and a journalism certificate from UCLA.

A cup of green tea being poured from a tea pot.Photo Credit isa-7777/iStock/Getty Images

Green tea may elevate your metabolism slightly, but it probably won't help you lose much weight no matter how much you drink. In an analysis of six studies published in "The Cochrane Database of Existing Reviews" in 2012, researchers found that on average, people who drank green tea for several months in weight-loss studies shed a mere .04 kilogram -- or 0.1 pound -- more than those who did not.

Green Tea Consumption

If you do opt for green tea, Medline Plus recommends drinking no more than 5 cups per day. In higher doses, the caffeine may cause side effects such as insomnia, headaches, upset stomach and irritability. In severe cases, it can even cause tremors or convulsions -- plus, green tea may block iron absorption from foods. While moderate green-tea consumption is probably OK for most people, Medline Plus reports that supplements are only "possibly safe" and may sometimes cause liver problems. Therefore, you should speak to your physician before taking concentrated green-tea products.

Related Searches

Lose Weight. Feel Great
Change your life with MyPlate by LIVESTRONG.COM